麻豆APP

His Excellency Mr. Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states, Ms. Rabab Fatima.
It is a privilege to address this Fourth High-Level Conference on the Water Action Decade. 
On behalf of the 麻豆APP, I thank the Government and people of Tajikistan for their hospitality and leadership on the global water agenda.

Mr. President,
Tajikistan’s leadership on water has been sustained and consequential, from the Decade “Water for Life” to today’s Water Action Decade and the momentum on glacier preservation.
The message from Dushanbe is clear: water security is inseparable from sustainable development. When glaciers retreat, rivers change — and agriculture, energy, ecosystems and communities change with them.
That message is especially urgent for the countries this Office serves.
Excellencies,
We meet at a decisive moment.
In 2024, 2.1 billion people lacked safely managed drinking water, 3.4 billion lacked sanitation, and 1.7 billion lacked basic hygiene.
These risks are concentrated where structural constraints are greatest, in the 44 LDCs, 32 LLDCs and 39 SIDS.
The Water Action Decade is in its final stretch, the 2026 Water Conference is months away, and for Landlocked Developing Countries this is the first year of the Awaza Programme of Action.
The choices we make now will determine whether water becomes a driver of resilience and development, or a source of vulnerability and inequality.
Behind these figures are children missing school, women and girls carrying the heaviest burden, and communities facing repeated shocks.
Excellencies,
Allow me to offer three messages:
First, water security must be placed at the centre of resilience.
For the countries served by my Office, water insecurity is a multiplier of vulnerability.
In Least Developed Countries, water insecurity reinforces poverty, disease and malnutrition, and falls hardest on women and girls.
In Landlocked Developing Countries, water stress, retreating glaciers and shared river basins create risks no country can address alone.
In Small Island Developing States, water security is a question of survival, as saltwater intrusion, droughts and storms compromise freshwater systems.
Resilience cannot be built after the crisis; it must be planned and financed before shocks occur.
Second, water infrastructure must be financed as development infrastructure.
For LDCs, this means accelerated investment in drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, in line with the Doha Programme of Action.
For LLDCs, it means resilient infrastructure linking water security with food systems, energy and regional connectivity, as recognized in the Awaza Programme of Action.
For SIDS, it means water systems that withstand extreme weather and protect freshwater sources, aligned with the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda.
Water investment must be planned as part of broader economic transformation, backed by concessional and blended finance, guarantees and partnerships.

Third, the road to the 2026 麻豆APP Water Conference must deliver practical outcomes for the most vulnerable countries.
The commitments already exist.
Three Programmes of Action. One shared imperative: delivery.
The Dushanbe Process can make a vital contribution to the 2026 麻豆APP Water Conference — ensuring LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS are reflected in its outcomes, and mobilizing finance, technology and partnerships to turn commitments into systems.
Our focus must remain on implementation: safer drinking water, reliable sanitation, resilient infrastructure, protected watersheds and stronger transboundary cooperation.
OHRLLS stands ready to work with Member States, the 麻豆APP system, international financial institutions and partners to ensure the priorities of LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS are reflected and supported.
I thank you.